Covers all the topics of Modern Indian History from the perspective of civil services preparation.

Sources for the History of Modern India

• Archival Materials
• Central Government Archives
• Archives of the State Governments
• Archives of Three Presidencies
• Archives of Other European Powers
• Judicial Records
• Published Archives
• Private Archives
• Foreign Repositories
• Biographies, Memoirs and Travel Accounts
• Newspapers and Journals
• Oral Evidence
• Creative Literature
• Painting
• Summary

Major Approaches to the History of Modern India

• Colonial Approach/ Historiography
• Nationalist Historiography/ Approach
• Marxist Historiography/ Approach
• Subaltern Approach/ Historiography
• Communalist Approach
• Cambridge School
• Liberal and Neo-Liberal Interpretations
• Feminist Historiography
• Summary

Advent of the Europeans in India

• The Quest for and Discovery of a Sea Route to India
• From Trading to Ruling
• Timelines of Key Portuguese Administrators in India
• Portuguese State
• Portuguese Lose Favour with the Mughals
• Decline of the Portuguese
• Significance of the Portuguese
• The Dutch: Dutch Settlements, Anglo-Dutch Rivalry, Decline of the Dutch in India
• The English: Charter of Queen Elizabeth I, Progress of the English Company
• The French: Foundation of French Centres in India
• The Anglo-French Struggle for Supremacy: the Carnatic Wars, Causes for the English Success and the French Failure
• The Danes & Why the English Succeeded against Other European Powers
• Summary- Colonial Powers in India

India on the Eve of British Conquest

• Challenges before the Mughals
• Causes of Decline of Mughal Empire
• Rise of Regional States
• Socio-Economic Conditions : Agriculture, Trade & Industry
• Status of Education

Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India

• The British Imperial History & Was the British Conquest Accidental or Intentional?
• Was British success in India was due to superior strategy and discipline !
• British Conquest of Bengal & Challenges before Siraj-ud-daula and Alivardi Khan
• The Battle of Plassey, Mir Kasim and the Treaty of 1760
• The Battle of Buxar, The Treaty of Allahabad
• Dual Government in Bengal (1765-72)
• Mysore’s Resistance to the Company, The Wodeyar / Mysore Dynasty, Rise of Haidar Ali
• First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69)
• Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84)
• Third Anglo-Mysore War
• Fourth Anglo-Mysore War & Mysore After Tipu
• Anglo-Maratha Struggle for Supremacy
• First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82)
• Second Anglo Maratha War (1803-1805)
• Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-19)
• Ahom Revolt of 1828
• Why the Marathas Lost
• Conquest of Sindh & Rise of Talpuras Amirs
• Gradual Ascendancy over Sindh & Conquest of Sindh
• Consolidation of Punjab under the Sikhs
• Ranjit Singh and the English & Punjab After Ranjit Singh
• First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46)
• Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49)
• Extension of British Paramountcy Through Administrative Policy
• The Policy of Ring-Fence
• Subsidiary Alliance
• Doctrine of Lapse
• Relations of British India with Neighbouring Countries, Anglo-Bhutanese Relations, Anglo-Nepalese Relations
• Anglo-Burmese Relations
• Anglo-Tibetan Relations
• Anglo-Afghan Relations
• John Lawrence and the Policy of Masterly Inactivity
• Lytton and the Policy of Proud Reserve
• British India and the North-West Frontier
• Summary of entire topics

People’s Resistance Against British Before 1857

This section explores various aspects of resistance against British rule in India, including early revolts and uprisings before 1857, civil uprisings, peasant movements with religious undertones, tribal revolts, and the causes and characteristics of these movements. It also covers significant sepoy mutinies, their causes, and the weaknesses of people’s uprisings, providing a comprehensive overview of the diverse forms of resistance in India during the colonial period.

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The Revolt of 1857

• The 1857 Revolt: the Major Causes
• Beginning and Spread of the Revolt
• Why the Revolt of 1857 Failed ?, Hindu-Muslim Unity Factor
• Nature of the Revolt
• Consequences, Significance & Suppression of the revolt
• Quick Review of "First war of Independence"

Socio-Religious Reform Movements: General Features

• Factors Giving Rise to Desire for Reform
• Social and Ideological Bases of Reform
• Fight for Betterment of Position of Women
• Struggle Against Caste-Based Exploitation

A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements

• Raja Rammohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj
• Prarthana Samaj & Significance of Brahmo Samaj
• Young Bengal Movement and Henry Vivian Derozio
• Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
• Balshastri Jambhekar & Paramahansa Mandali
• Satyashodhak Samaj and Jyotiba or Jyotirao Phule
• Gopalhari Deshmukh ‘Lokahitawadi’
• Gopal Ganesh Agarkar
• The Servants of India Society
• Social Service League
• The Ramakrishna Movement and Swami Vivekananda
• Dayananda Saraswati and Arya Samaj
• Seva Sadan, Dev Samaj & Dharma Sabha
• Bharat Dharma Mahamandala
• Radhaswami Movement
• Sree Narayana Guru Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Movement
• Vokkaliga Sangha, Justice Movement, Self-Respect Movement
• Temple Entry Movement
• Indian Social Conference
• Wahabi/Walliullah Movement
• Titu Mir‘s Movement
• Faraizi Movement
• Ahmadiyya Movement
• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and the Aligarh Movement
• The Deoband School (Darul Uloom)
• Parsi Reform Movements
• Sikh Reform Movements
• The Theosophical Movement
• Significance of Reform Movements

Beginning of Modern Nationalism in India

• Factors in the Growth of Modern Nationalism
• Contradictions in interests, unification, Western education, and socio-political movements shaped India's political landscape.
• Pre-Congress Campaigns

Indian National Congress: Foundation and the Moderate Phase

• Foundation of Indian National Congress, Was It a Safety Valve?
• Era of Moderates (1885-1905)
• Contributions of Moderate Nationalists
• An Evaluation of the Early Nationalists

Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909)

• Growth of Militant Nationalism & Why Militant Nationalism Grew?
• The Swadeshi and Boycott Movement, Partition of Bengal, Anti-Partition Campaign Under Moderates (1903-05)
• Annulment of Partition, Critical Analysis of Swadeshi Movement
• The Surat Split
• Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909
• Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) | Summary

First Phase of Revolutionary Activities (1907-1917)

• Why the Surge of Revolutionary Activities
• A Survey of Revolutionary Activities in Bengal, Maharashtra and Punjab
• Revolutionary Activities Abroad
• Ghadr Movement & kamagata Maru Incident

First World War and Nationalist Response

• Nationalist Response to the World War-I
• Home Rule League Movement
• Lucknow Session of INC (1916)
• Montagu’s Statement of August 1917

Emergence of Gandhi

• Nationalist Resurgence during WW-I & other incidents
• Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms and Government of India Act, 1919
• Making of Gandhi
• Gandhi in India
• Champaran Satyagraha (1917)—First Civil Disobedience
• Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918)—First Hunger Strike
• Kheda Satyagraha (1918)—First Non-Cooperation
• Rowlatt Act, Satyagraha, Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
• The Hunter Committee of Inquiry

Non-Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Aandolan

• The Khilafat Issue & Development of the Khalifat-Non-Cooperation Movement
• The Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement
• Why Gandhi Withdrew the Movement & Evaluation Non-Cooperation Movement

Emergence of Swarajists, Socialist Ideas, Revolutionary Activities and Other New Forces

• Swarajists and No-Changers, Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party
• The Swarajist Manifesto for Elections
• Constructive Work by No-Changers
• Emergence of New Forces: Socialistic Ideas, Youth Power, Trade Unionism
• Revolutionary Activity During the 1920s
• Kakori Conspiracy Case of 1925
• Chittagong armoury raid of 1930
• Revolutionary Activities in Punjab-United Provinces-Bihar
• New phase of revolutionary movement in Bengal

Simon Commission and the Nehru Report

• Appointment of the Indian Statutory Commission
• The Simon Commission Recommendations & It's impact
• Nehru Report
• Amendments Proposed by Jinnah

Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences

• The Run-up to Civil Disobedience Movement & Calcutta Session of Congress, Irwin's Declaration (October 31, 1929)
• Delhi Manifesto
• Lahore Congress and Purna Swaraj
• January 26, 1930: the Independence Pledge
• Civil Disobedience Movement—the Salt Satyagraha and Other Upsurges
Karachi Congress Session—1931, Congress Resolutions at Karachi
• The Round Table Conferences
• Civil Disobedience Resumed During Truce Period (March-December 1931)
• Communal Award
• Poona Pact
• Gandhi’s Harijan Campaign and thoughts on Caste
• Ideological Differences and Similarities between Gandhi and Ambedkar

Debates on the Future Strategy after Civil Disobedience Movement

• The First Stage Debate & Nehru’s Opposition to Struggle-Truce-Struggle Strategy
• Government of India Act, 1935
• The Second Stage Debate, Divided Opinion & Congress Manifesto for Elections

Congress Rule in Provinces

• Work under Congress Ministries, Civil Liberties, Agrarian Reforms & Social Welfare Reforms

Nationalist Response in the Wake of World War II

• Haripura and Tripuri Sessions: Subhash Bose’s Views
• Gandhi and Bose: Ideological Differences
• Second World War and Nationalistic Response
• Government Attitude and Congress Ministries’ Resignation
• August Offer
• Individual Satyagraha
• Gandhi Designates Nehru as his Successor
• Cripps Mission
• Chain of events during World War - II

Quit India Movement, Demand for Pakistan, and the INA

• Quit India Movement
• Famine of 1943
• Rajagopalachari Formula
• Desai-Liaqat Pact
• Wavell Plan
• The Indian National Army and Subhash Bose

Post-War National Scenario

• National Upsurge After World War - II
• Congress Election Campaign and INA Trials
• Three Upsurges—Winter of 1945-46
• Election Results
• Cabinet Mission Plan—Main Points
• Communal Holocaust and the Interim Government
• Birth and Spread of Communalism in India
• End of British Rule in India

Independence with Partition

• Attlee’s Statement of February 20, 1947
• Independence and Partition & Mountbatten Plan, June 3, 1947 & Indian Independence Act
• Integration of States
• Inevitability of Partition

Constitutional, Administrative and Judicial Developments

• Constitutional Development between 1773 and 1858
• Developments after 1858 till Independence
• Evolution of Civil Services in India
• Evolution of Police System in Modern India
• Military Under the British
• Development of Judiciary in British India